Religious Affairs Regulations 2017

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Chapter I: General Provisions

Article 1: These Regulations are formulated in accordance with the Constitution and relevant laws so as to ensure citizens’freedom of religious belief, maintain harmony among and between religions, maintain social harmony, regulate the administration of religious affairs, and increase the level of legalification in work on religion.

Article 2: Citizens have the freedom of religious belief.

No organization or individual may compel citizens to believe in, or not to believe in, any religion; nor may they discriminate against citizens who believe in any religion (hereinafter referred to as religious citizens) or citizens who do not believe in any religion (hereinafter referred to as non-religious citizens).

Religious citizens and non-religious citizens shall respect each other and co-exist in harmony, and so shall citizens who believe in different religions.

Article 3: The management of religious affairs upholds the principles of protecting what is lawful, prohibiting what is unlawful, suppressing extremism, resisting infiltration, and fighting crime.

Article 4: The State, in accordance with the law, protects normal religious activities,actively guides religion to fit in with socialist society, and safeguards the lawful rights and interests of religious groups, religious schools, religious activity sites and religious citizens.

Religion must not be used by any individual or organization to engage in activities that endanger national security, disrupt public order, impair the health of citizens or obstruct the State educational system, as well as other activities that harm State or societal public interests, or citizens’ lawful rights and interests, and other such illegal activities.

Individuals and organizations must not create contradictions and conflicts between different religions, within a single religion, or between religious and non-religious citizens; must not advocate, support, or fund, religious extremism; and must not use religion to undermine ethnic unity, divide the nation or carry out terrorist activities.

Article 5: All religions shall adhere to the principle of independence and self-governance; religious groups, religious schools, and religious activity sites and religious affairs, are not to be controlled by foreign forces.

Religious bodies, religious schools, religious activity sites, and religious professionals are to develop external exchange on the basis of mutual respect, equality, and friendship; other organizations or individuals must not accept any religious conditions in external cooperation or exchange in economic, cultural or other fields.

Article 6: All levels of people's government shall strengthen work on religion, establish and complete mechanisms for work on religion, and ensure the strength of and the necessary conditions for the work.

The religious affairs departments of the people’s governments at the county level or above are to lawfully carry out management of religious affairs that involve State or public interests, and the other departments of the people’s governments at the county level or above are to be responsible for the management of relevant affairs within the scope of their respective functions and duties.

People's governments at the township level shall complete efforts for the management of religious affairs within their own administrative areas.Villagers' committees and residents' committees shall lawfully assist people's governments in managing religious affairs.

All levels of people’s governments shall hear the views of religious groups, religious schools, religious activity sites, and religious citizens, and coordinate the management of religious affairs so as to provide public services to religious groups, religious schools and religious activity sites.

Chapter II: Religious Groups

Article 7: The establishment, modification, or deregistration of a religious group shall be registered in accordance with the relevant State provisions on the management of social groups.

The charters of religious groups shall comply with the relevant State provisions on the management of social groups.

Activities carried out by religious groups in accordance with their charters are protected by law.

Article 8: Religious groups have the following functions:

(1) assisting the people's governments in the implementation of laws, regulations,rules, and policies, to preserve the lawful rights and interests of religious citizens;

(2) Guiding religious affairs, formulating a system of rules and supervising their implementation;

(3) engaging in religious cultural study, explaining the religious doctrines and canons, and carrying out the construction of religious ideology;

(5) such other functions as laws, regulations, rules and religious groups' articles of association provide.

Article 9: National religious groups and those of the provinces, autonomous regions, and directly-governed municipalities may, based on the need of their respective religions, select and receive religious students studying overseas in accordance with provisions; other organizations or individuals must not select and accept religious students studying overseas.

Chapter III: Religious Schools

Article 11: Religious schools are established by national religious groups or by the religious groups of provinces, autonomous regions, and directly-governed municipalities.Other organizations or individuals must not establish religious schools.

Article 12: The establishment of religious schools shall be by upon application of the national religious groups to the religious affairs department under the State Council, of application of the religious groups of provinces, autonomous regions, directly-governed municipalities to the departments religious affairs for the people's government of that province, autonomous region, or directly-governed municipalities.The religious affairs departments of provincial, autonomous region, or directly governed municipality people's governments shall make a recommendation within 30 days of receiving the application; and report to the department of religious affairs under the State Council.

The religious affairs department under the State Council shall make a decision to approve or not approve within 60 days of receiving a national religious group's application, or the report materials from the religious affairs departments of people's governments for provinces, autonomous regions, or directly-governed municipalities.

Article 13: Religious schools shall meet the following conditions to be established:

(1) Have clear training objectives, school regulations, and curriculum plans;

(2) Have a source of students that meet the requirements for training;

(3) Have the necessary school funding and stable sources of funds;

(4) Have teaching sites, facilities, and equipment necessary for the pedagogic mission and teaching model;

(5) Have a full-time responsible party for the school, qualified full-time teachers, and internal management organizations.

(6) a reasonable configuration.

Article 14: Religious schools established upon approval may apply to register as legal persons in accordance with relevant provisions.

Article 15: Religious schools shall follow the provisions of article 12 of these regulations in handling changes of their addresses, school names, affiliations, training objectives, education systems, or school sizes, or where merging, dividing, or terminating.

Article 16: Religious schools are to carry out designated systems for verification of teachers' qualifications, review of titles, and giving of degrees; with specific measures separately formulated by the department of religious affairs under the State Council.

Article 17: Religious schools hiring foreign professional staff shall do so after the State Council religious affairs department consents, and go to the department for administration of foreign workers for their area to handle the relevant formalities.

Article 18: Religious groups and temples, Taoist temples, mosques, and churches (hereinafter temples and churches), carrying out religious education and training to cultivate religious professionals where the training period is 3 months or more, shall hall report for review and approval to the religious affairs departments of local people's governments at the districted city level or higher.

Chapter IV: Religious Activity sites

Article 19: Religious activity sites include temples and churches and other fixed locations for religious activity.

Standards for distinguishing temples and churches and other fixed sites for religious premises are to be formulated by the religious affairs departments of provincial, autonomous region, or directly governed municipality people's governments, and reported to the religious affairs department under the State Council to be filed for the record.

Article 20: Religious activity sites shall meet the following conditions to be established:

(1) The purpose of their establishment is not contrary to articles 4 and 5 of this Regulation;

(2) The local religious citizens have need to regularly conduct collective religious activities;

(3) there are religious professionals or other personnel meeting the requirements of the religion who intend to preside over the religious activities;

(4) have the necessary funds from legal sources and channels;

(5) Have a reasonable configuration meeting the requirements of urban and rural planning, and not impeding the ordinary lives and production of surrounding units and residents.

Article 21: In preparation for the establishment of a religious activity site, religious groups are to submit applications to the religious affairs department of the county-level people's governments for the area where the religious activity site will be.Within 30 days of religious affairs departments of county-level people's governments receiving an application; they shall report to the religious affairs department of districted cities' people's government.

Religious affairs departments for districted city level people's governments shall, within 30 days of receiving reported materials from a county-level people's governments' religious affairs department, make a decision to approve or reject give approval or reject applications to establish other fixed religious activity sites; where the application is for the establishment of temples and churches, it shall issue verification comments and report to the religious affairs department of the provincial, autonomous region, or directly governed municipality people's government for review and approval.

The religious affairs department of provincial, autonomous region, or directly governed municipality people's governments shall make a decision to approve or not approve within 30 days of receiving the report materials from the religious affairs departments of people's governments for districted cities.

Only after an application for the establishment of a religious activity site has been approved, may preparations to build the religious activity site be handled.

Article 22: After religious activity sites have been approved for preparations and completed construction, they shall apply for registration with the religious affairs department of the county-level people's government for that area.Religious affairs departments of county-level people's governments shall, within 30 days of receiving an application, conduct a review of the religious activity site's management organization and regulatory system, and issue a “Religious Activity Site Registration Certificate”.

Article 23: Religious activity sites meeting the requirements for legal personhood, may register as legal persons with the civil affairs departments upon the consent of an area religious group and reporting to the religious affairs department of a County Level people's government for review and consent.

Article 24: Where religious activity sites terminate or modify the content of their registration, they shall handle the formalities corresponding to the cancellation or modification of registration with the original registration management organ.

Article 25: Religious activity sites shall establishment management organizations and implement democratic management.The members of religious activity sites' management organizations are selected according to democratic consultation, and are reported to that site's registration management organs to be filed for the record.

Article 26: Religious activity sites shall strengthen internal management, and follow relevant laws, regulations and rules to establish and complete systems for the management of personnel, finances, assets, accounting, security, fire protection, protection of relics, health and disease prevention and so forth; and will accept the guidance, supervision and inspection of relevant departments of the local people's government’s

Article 28: Religious goods, crafts, and publications may be sold within religious activity sites.

Article 29: Religious activity sites shall guard against incidents that harm the religious sentiment of religious citizens, undermine ethnic unity, and influence social stability, such as the occurrence of major accidents on the premises or violation of religious taboos.

When the incidents or matters listed in the preceding paragraph occur, religious activity sites shall immediately report them to the religious affairs department of the county-level people's government for that area.

Article 30: Religious groups, temples and churches intending to build large outdoor religious statues shall have provincial, autonomous region, or directly governed municipality religious groups submit an application to the religious affairs department of a provincial, autonomous region, or directly governed municipality people's governments.The religious affairs departments of provincial, autonomous region, or directly governed municipality people's governments shall make a recommendation within 30 days of receiving the application; and report to the department of religious affairs under the State Council.

The religious affairs department under the State Council shall make a decision to approve or not approve within 60 days of receiving a report on the construction of a large outdoor religious statue.

Organizations and individuals other than religious groups, temples and churches must not construct large outdoor religious statues.

The construction of large outdoor religious statues outside of temple and church grounds is prohibited.

Article 31: Relevant units and individuals setting up commercial service outlets, organizing displays and exhibitions, or filming movies and television, and carrying out other activities in religious activity sites, shall first obtain the consent of the religious activity sites.

Article 32: All levels of local people's government shall include the establishment of religious activity sites in their land use plans and urban-rural planning, based on actual needs.

The construction of religious activity sites and large outdoor religious statues shall conform with overall land use plans, urban-rural plans, and relevant laws and regulations such as on engineering, construction and preservation of artifacts.

Article 33: Reconstruction or construction of new buildings in religious activity sites shall be done after approval by the religious affairs department of a local people's government at the county level or above, and then handling formalities such as for planning and construction.

Expansion of religious activity sites, or rebuilding in different locations, should be handled in accordance with the procedures provided in article 21 of these Regulations.

Article 34: Where there are religious activity sites in scenic areas, local people's governments at the county level or above shall coordinate and handle interests and relationships between the religious activity sites and scenic area management organizations, in areas such as gardens, forestry, cultural relics, tourism and so forth, to preserve the lawful rights and interests of religious activity sites, religious professionals, and religious citizens, and to protect normal religious activities.

The planning and construction of scenic areas with religious activity sites as the primary sightseeing attraction, shall be coordinated with the style and environment of the religious activity sites.

Article 35: Where religious citizens need to regularly conduct collective religious activities, but don't possess the conditions for applying to set up religious activity sites, a representative of the religious citizens is to submit an application to the religious affairs department of the county-level people's government, and after the religious affairs department for the county-level people's government solicits the opinions of local religious groups and township-level people's governments, it may designate a temporary activity site for them.

Under the guidance of the religious affairs departments of county-level people's governments, township-level people's governments conduct oversight of activities at temporary activity locations.After they possess the conditions for setting up religious activity sites, reviews, approvals and registration formalities for establishing religious activity sites are to be completed.

Religious activities at temporary activity sites shall comply with the relevant provisions of these Regulations.

Chapter V: Religious Professionals

Article 36: Upon affirmation by a religious group and reporting to the religious affairs department of a people's government at the county level or above to be filed for the record, religious professionals may engage in professional religious activities.

The succession of living Buddhas in Tibetan Buddhism is to be conducted under the guidance of Buddhist groups and in accordance with the religious rites and historical conventions, and is to be reported for approval to the religious affairs department of people’s governments at the provincial level or above or to a people's government at the provincial level or above.The national Catholic national religious group is to report Catholic bishops to the religious affairs department under the State Council to be filed for the record.

Those that have not obtained or have lost religious professional credentials, must not engage in activity as religious professionals.

Article 37: Where religious professionals serve or depart as the chief religious professionals of religious activity sites, upon consent of that religion's religious group, it is to be reported to the religious affairs department of the people’s government at the county level or above for the record.

Article 38: Religious professionals presiding over religious activities, conducting religious ceremonies, sorting religious scriptures and conducting of religious and cultural research, and carrying out public interest charitable activities and other such activities, are protected by law.

Chapter VI: Religious Activities

Article 40:Collective religious activities of religious citizens shall , in general, be held at religious activity sites, be organized by religious activity sites, religious groups, or religious school organizations; and be presided over by religious professionals or other persons meeting the requirements of that religion's rules; and conducted according to religious doctrines and canons.

Non-religious groups, non-religious schools, and non-religious activity sites, must not carry out religious training and must not organize citizens leaving the country to participate in religious training, meetings, activities and so forth.

Article 42: Where a large-scale religious activity, which crosses-provinces, autonomous regions and directly governed municipalities is held that is beyond the accommodation capacity of a religious activity site, or where a large-scale religious activity is to be held outside a religious activities site, the religious group, church or temple sponsoring the activity shall, 30 days before the activity is to be held, submit an application to the religious affairs department of the people’s government for the province, autonomous region or municipality The religious affairs department of the people’s government for districted cities shall, within 15 days from the date of receiving an application, is to make a decision of approval or disapproval after soliciting the opinions of the public security organs for that level of people's government.Where a decision to approve is made, the approving organ is to record it with the provincial level people's government's religious affairs department.

Large-scale religious activities shall, as required indicated in the written notification of approval, to proceed in accordance with religious rites and rituals, and must not violate the relevant provisions of Articles 4 and 5 of these Regulations. The sponsoring religious group or church or temple shall employ effective measures to prevent the occurrence of accidents and guarantee that large-scale religious activities are conducted safely and orderly.The township-level people’s government and the relevant departments of the local people’s government at the county level or above for the place where such large-scale religious activities are to be held shall, within the limits of their respective functions and duties, carry out the necessary management and guidance.

Article 43:The national Islamic religious group is responsible for the making of hajj abroad by Chinese citizens who believe in Islam.

Article 44:It is prohibited to proselytize, hold religious activities, establish religious organizations, or set up religious activity sites in schools or educational bodies other than religious schools.

Article 45:Religious groups, religious schools, and churches and temples may, in accordance with the relevant national provisions, compile and distribute internal religious informational publications. Religious publications for public distribution are to be handled in accordance with the relevant national provisions on the administration of publications.

Publications involving religious contents shall comply with laws and regulations on the administration of publications, and must not contain the following content:

(1) that which undermines the harmonious co-existence between religious and non-religious citizens;

(2) that which undermines the harmony between different religions or within a religion;

(3) that which discriminates against or insults religious or non-religious citizens;

(4) that which advocate religious extremism;

(5) that which contravenes the principle of religions' independence and self-governance.

Article 46:Religious publications or printed matter that exceeds personal use and reasonable quantities brought into the mainland, or otherwise imported, shall be handled in accordance with relevant state regulations.

Article 47:Engagement in internet religious information services shall be upon the review and consent of the religious affairs department for a people's governments at the provincial level or above, and handle it in accordance with the relevant state provisions on internet information services management.

Internet religious information services' content must not violate the provisions of paragraph 2 of article 45 of these Regulations.

Chapter VII: Religious Assets

Article 49: Religious groups, religious schools, and religious activity sites follow laws and relevant state provisions to manage and use assets that they lawfully occupy and that are collectively owned assets belonging to the State; and enjoy ownership or other property rights with regards to other lawful assets in accordance with law.

Article 50:Religious groups', religious schools' , and religious activity sites' lawful use of land; lawful ownership or use of buildings, structures, and facilities, as well as of other lawful assets and proceeds; are protected by law.

The lawful assets of a religious groups, religious schools or religious activities sites must not be encroached upon, plundered, privately divided, damaged, or, illegally sealed up, seized, frozen, confiscated or disposed of by any organization or individual, and cultural relics possessed or used by religious groups, religious schools, or religious activities sites must not be damaged.

Article 51:Immovable property such as the houses owned and the land used by religious groups, religious schools, or religious activities sites shall be registered on application with the real estate registration institution for the people’s government at the county level or above in accordance with law, and be granted a real estate ownership certificate; where the property rights are modified or transferred, the formalities for alteration or transfer of registration shall be promptly handled

When altering or transferring the land-use rights of a religious group, religious school, or a religious activities site, the real estate registration institutions shall solicit the opinions of the religious affairs department of the people’s government at the same level.

Article 52:Religious groups, religious schools, and religious activity sites are non-profit organizations; their assets and income shall be used in activities consistent with their religious purpose and in public interest charitable matters, and they must not distributed.

Article 53:Organizations and individuals that give donations for the construction of religious activity sites do not enjoy ownership or usage rights in the religious activity sites, and must not receive economic benefit from the religious activity sites.

It is prohibited to invest in or contract management of religious activity sites or large-scale outdoor religious statues, and it is prohibited to commercial promotions in the name of religions.

Article 54:The houses and structures used for religious activities by a religious activities site, as well as their accessory houses lived in by religious professionals must not be transferred, mortgaged or used as investments in kind.

Article 55:Where the houses of a religious group, religious school, or a religious activities site need to be demolished due to the needs of the public interest, it shall be done in accordance with the national laws and regulations on demolition of houses.Religious groups, religious schools, or religious activity sites may elect monetary compensation, and may also select exchange of real estate rights or reconstruction.

Public interest charitable activities must not be used to proselytize by any organization or individual.

Article 57:Religious groups, religious schools or religious activities sites may, in accordance with the relevant national provisions, accept donations from organizations and individuals at home or abroad, which shall be used for the activities that are commensurate with the purpose of the religious group or the religious activities site.

Religious groups, religious schools, and religious activity sites must not accept donations from foreign organizations or individuals that have conditions attached, and where the amount donated exceeds 100,000 RMB; it shall be reported to the religious affairs department of the people's governments at the county level or above for review and approval.

Religious groups, religious schools, and religious activity sites may accept contributions from citizens in accordance with religious custom, but contributions must not be compelled or levied.

Article 58:Religious groups, religious schools or religious activities sites shall implement the national unified systems for finance, assets, and accounting, and report to the religious affairs department of the people’s government at the county level or above for the place where it is located on its income and expenditure, and on the acceptance and use of donations as well, and, in an appropriate way, make such information public to religious citizens.The religious affairs departments shall share relevant information with the relevant departments.

Religious groups, religious schools or religious activities sites shall, in accordance with national systems on finances and accounting, establish and complete systems audits, financial reporting, financial disclosures, and other such systems; and establish and improve financial management bodies, and allot the necessary financial accounting staff to strengthen financial management.

The relevant government departments may organize finance and asset inspections, and audits of religious groups, religious schools, and religious activity sites.

Article 60:Where religious groups, religious schools, and religious activity sites are deregistered or terminated, an asset liquidation shall be carried out, and assets remaining after the liquidation shall be used for purposes conforming to their religious purpose.

Chapter VIII: Legal Responsibility

Article 61:Where state personnel in the management of religious affairs abuse their authority, play favorites, neglects his duty or commits illegalities for personal gain, they shall be punished in accordance with law; where a crime is constituted, criminal responsibility is pursued in accordance with law.

Article 62:Where citizens are compelled to believe in, or not to believe in religion, or where normal religious activities conducted by a religious group, religious school or a religious activities site are interfered with, the religious affairs department is to order corrections; where there are violations of public security management, public security administrative sanctions are to be given in accordance with law.

Where the lawful rights and interests of a religious group, religious school, religious activities site or a religious citizen are infringed, civil liability is born in accordance with law; where a crime is constituted, criminal responsibility is pursued in accordance with law.

Article 63:Advocating,supporting, or funding religious extremism,or using religion to to harm national security or public safety, undermine ethnic unity, divide the nation,or conduct terrorist activities and separatism or terrorist activities, infringing upon citizens’ rights in their persons and democratic rights, impeding the administration of public order, or encroaching upon public or private property; where a crime is constituted, criminal responsibility is pursued in accordance with law; where no crime is constituted, the relevant competent department are to give administrative punishments in accordance with law; and where losses are caused to citizens, legal persons or other organizations, civil liability in borne in accordance with law.

Where religious groups, religious schools or religious activity sites carry out any of the conduct in the preceding paragraph and the circumstances are serious, the relevant departments shall employ necessary measures to rectify it, and those refusing rectification are to have their registration certificate or establishment permit revoked in accordance with law by the registration management organs or organ that approved establishment.

Article 64:Where there are situations in the course of large scale religious activities that endanger national security or public safety, or seriously undermine public order, the relevant departments are to handle it and give punishments in accordance with laws and regulations; where the primary organizing religious group, temple or church bears responsibility, the registration management organ shall order them to withdraw and change the principle responsible person, and where circumstances are serious, the registration management organs are to revoke registration certificates.

Where large scale religious activities are organized without authorization, the religious affairs department together with the relevant departments are to order that the activities be stopped, and may give a concurrent fine of between 100,000 and 300,000 yuan; and where there are unlawful gains or illegal assets, confiscate them.Of these, where large scale religious activities are organized without authorization by religious groups or religious activity sites, the registration management organs may also order that religious group or religious activity site to withdraw and change the directly responsible management personnel.

Article 65: Where a religious group, religious school, or religious activities site commits any of the following acts, the religious affairs department is to order it to make corrections; where the circumstances are relatively serious, the registration management organ, or organ that that approved establishment, is to order the religious group, religious school, or the religious activities site to dismiss and replace the directly responsible; management personnel and where the circumstances are serious, the registration management organ, or organ that that approved establishment, is to order that daily activities be stopped, that management organizations be reorganized, and a period of rectification; where rectification is refused, the registration certificate or establishment permits are revoked in accordance with law; and where there are unlawful gains or illegal assets, they are to be confiscated:

(1) failing to follow the registration modification or recording formalities;

(2) religious schools violating the requirements of their training objectives, school regulations, and course setup;

(3) religious activities sites violating Article 16 of these Regulations, by failing to formulate relevant management systems, or failing to have management systems meet the requirements;

(4) religious activity sites violating article 54 of these provisions by transferring, mortgaging, or investing buildings, structures and living quarters for religious professionals;

(5) failing to promptly report the occurrence of major accidents or incidents in a religious activities site, and causing serious consequences;

(6) contravening the principle of religions' independence and self-governance in violation of the provisions of Article 5 of these Regulations;

(7) Violating national regulations in accepting domestic or foreign donations;

(8) refusing to accept supervision and management lawfully carried out by the administrative management organs.

Article 66:Where activities in temporary activity sites violate the relevant provisions of these Regulations, the religious affairs department is to order corrections; where the circumstances are serious, they are to order a stop to the activities and revoke the temporary activity site; where there are unlawful gains or illegal assets, they are to be confiscated.

Article 67:Where religious groups, religious schools and religious activity sites violate the relevant management provisions on finances, accounting, assets and taxation, departments of finance, taxation and so forth will give punishments in accordance with the relevant provisions; where the circumstances are serious, upon proposal by the finance and taxation departments, the registration management organs, or organ that approved establishment, are to lawfully revoke registration certificate or establishment permits.

Article 68:Where any publications or internet religious information services involving religious content contain content prohibited by the second paragraph of Article 45 of these Regulations, the relevant departments are to impose administrative punishments upon the relevant responsible units and persons in accordance with law; and where a crime is constituted, criminal responsibility is pursued in accordance with law.

Where internet religious information services are engaged in without authorization or where services are provided exceeding the scope of an approved and recorded project, the relevant departments handle it in accordance with relevant laws and regulations.

Article 69:Where a religious activities site is established without authorization, or where a religious activity sites site that has had its registration revoked or registration certificate cancelled continues to carry out religious activities, or where a religious school is established without authorization, the religious affairs department, together with the relevant departments are to shut it down and confiscate the unlawful gains or illegal assets if any; where the unlawful gains or illegal assets cannot be determined, a fine of up to 50,000 yuan is imposed; the illegal houses or structures, if any, shall be disposed of by the planning and construction departments in accordance with law; and where there is conduct in violation of public security management, a public security administrative sanction is be imposed in accordance with law:

Where a non-religious group, non-religious school, non-religious activity site, or site not designated for temporary activities organizes or holds religious activities or accepts religious donations, the religious affairs department, together with the departments for public security, civil affairs, construction, education, culture, tourism, cultural artifacts, and so forth, will order it to discontinue the activities and will confiscate the unlawful gains and illegal assets, if any; and may give a fine of between one and three times the value of unlawful gains; where it is not possible to determine the unlawful gains,a fine of up to 50,000 RMB is given; and where a crime is constituted, criminal responsibility is pursued in accordance with law.

Article 70:Where, without authorization, religious citizens are organized to leave the mainland to participate in religious trainings, meetings,the hajj or other such activities, or religious education and training is carried out without authorization, the religious affairs department, together with the relevant departments, is to order it to discontinue the activities, may impose a concurrent fine of between 20,000 and 200,000 yuan, and is to confiscate the unlawful gains, if any; where a crime is constituted, criminal responsibility is pursued in accordance with law.

Where there is proselytization, organizing of religious activities, establishment of religious organizations, or establishment of religious activity sites in schools or educational institutions other than religious schools; the organ of review and approval or other relevant departments are to order corrections to be made within a certain time and give warnings; where there are unlawful gains, they are to be confiscated; where there circumstances are serious, order that enrollment is to be stopped and cancel education permits; and where a crime is constituted, criminal responsibility is pursued in accordance with law.

Article 71:Where conditions are provided for unlawful religious activities religious activities, the religious affairs departments are to give a warning and confiscate the unlawful gains or illegal assets, if any; where the circumstances are serious, a fine of between 20,000 and 200,000 yuan is to be imposed; where there are illegal buildings or structures, they are to be disposed of by the departments for planning and construction in accordance with law; and where there is conduct in violation of public security management, a public security administrative sanction is be given by in accordance with law.

Article 72:Where these Regulations are violated by constructed large scale outdoor religious statues, the religious affairs department together with the departments for land, planning, construction, tourism and so forth, are to order that work be stopped, and demolished within a set time; and confiscate unlawful gains if any; where circumstances are serious, a fine of between 5-10% of the construction costs is imposed.

Where there is investment in or contracting of operations of religious activity sites or large outdoor religious statues, the religious affairs department together with departments for industry and commerce, planning, construction, and so forth will order corrections and confiscate unlawful gains ; where the circumstances are serious, the registration management organs will revoke the religious activity site's registration certificates, and investigate the responsibility of relevant parties.

Article 73:Where religious professionals exhibit any of the following conduct, the Religious Affairs Department will give a warning, confiscate unlawful gains and confiscate illegal assets; where the circumstances are serious, the Religious Affairs Department will recommend that the relevant religious group, religious school or religious activity sites temporarily stop them from presiding over religious affairs activities or revoke their status as religious professionals; and pursue the responsibility of the relevant religious group, religious school, or religious activity sites' responsible party, and where there is conduct in violation of public security management,e a public security administrative sanction is given in accordance with law; and where a crime is constituted, criminal responsibility is pursued in accordance with law:

(2) accepting domination by external forces, accepting clergy from foreign religious groups or organizations without authorization, as well as otherwise going against the principle of religious independence and self-governance;

(3) Violating national regulations in accepting domestic or foreign donations;

Article 74:Where anyone impersonates religious professionals to carry out illegal acts such as conducting professional religious activities or defrauding funds, the religious affairs departments are to order it that the activities be discontinued; and confiscate the unlawful gains and illegal assets, if any; and give a concurrent fine of up to 10,000 yuan; where there are violations of public security, public security administrative sanctions are given in accordance with law; and where a crime is constituted, criminal responsibility is pursued in accordance with law.

Article 75:Where anyone is dissatisfied with administrative acts taken by the religious affairs departments, they may lawfully apply for an administrative reconsideration; where dissatisfied with the decision of the administrative reconsideration, they may lawfully raise an administrative lawsuit.

Chapter IX: Supplementary Provisions

Article 76:Religious exchanges between the mainland and Hong Kong SAR, Macao SAR, and Taiwan, are handled in accordance with relevant laws, administrative regulations, and relevant national provisions.

Article 77:This Regulation shall become effective on February 1, 2018.